Verse I wish I hadn't noticed...

I was finishing up Colossians today and almost skipped Paul's final greetings to people, but skimmed it real fast and noticed this verse. I had to reread it a few times and was totally convicted. Colossians 4:12 "Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured."

He was "wrestling in prayer" for the Colossians, most of whom, I assume, he didn't even know. How many people do I "wrestle in prayer" for? None, not even my husband or kids. Prayer has always been my weakness. I looked up "wrestle" in the dictionary: "to fight by grappling and attempting to throw or immobilize one's opponent; to struggle to master something." So I'm either suppose to be attempting to immobilize my opponent (Satan) as he is going after my family, or I'm struggling to master prayer. Either definition fits for me.

The Amplified version says "...[He is] always striving for you earnestly in his prayers, [pleading] that you may [as persons of ripe character and clear conviction] stand firm and mature [in spiritual growth], convinced and fully assured in [a]everything willed by God." The Message says he's been "tireless in his prayers for you." Holman says "he is always contending for you in his prayers." NASB says "always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers". I looked them all up hoping that verb wasn't that strong, but alas, it is.

I am not striving, tireless, always contending or laboring earnestly for my family in prayer, praying that my men will be persons of ripe character, clear conviction, standing firm and mature, being fully assured of God's will for them. OUCH! Just thought I would share my painful discovery with you all. That's one of those convictions that should be life changing for me if I let it.